Hiraishin Reborn
by God Fist
Summary: One mysterious man advises Naruto to stop playing pranks and joking around. Naruto will take his Shinobi training seriously from a young age and utilize his true potential to its fullest. A simple low rank Jutsu will be remade to rival even the Hiraishin.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Hiraishin Reborn

Author: AaronTT71

Genre: Adventure/General

Summary: One mysterious man advises Naruto to stop playing pranks and joking around. Naruto will take his Shinobi training seriously from a young age and utilize his true potential to its fullest. A simple low rank technique will be modified into something that will rival even the famed Hiraishin.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I wouldn't be wasting my time writing this fine piece of Fanfiction, rather I would be on a beach sipping an alcoholic beverage and laughing at all the losers who don't own Naruto. Yup.

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Chapter 1: Introduction

"Look, brat, you don't understand how strong the Yondaime really was. You vowing to surpass him is like me saying I get free kisses from Kami-sama herself," said the hooded man.

Uzumaki Naruto, the villages scorn and scapegoat glared at the man before him. This guy had heard him proclaim to surpass his hero and then all of a sudden starts pestering him about how his dreams are stupid and unrealistic.

Naruto looked at the hooded man as if he were a hated enemy. "Shut up! I'll be the greatest Hokage there is and then the villagers will stop hating me and I'll finally be respected!" Shouted the indignant blonde.

The hooded man chuckled. "Is that why you want to 'Surpass the Yondaime?' Because you want respect? I can tell you right now kid, even if you become ten times stronger than Yondaime-sama, You will never be Hokage if all you want is respect," said the man nonchalantly.

Naruto turned from angry to confused-angry. "Oh yah!? Why is that!?" Naruto yelled defiantly.

The man took on a look of seriousness even though Naruto couldn't see it. He turned to the young blonde sitting near him. "Your reasons are selfish. No Hokage would declare you their successor if they knew you only wanted respect and attention. To be a Hokage, you must throw away any and all resentment for the people of Konoha and swear to protect every one of the villagers with your very life if necessary. The job requires much more than just being a powerful ninja. You need a lot of important things to even be considered a possible candidate for the position."

Naruto was taken aback by the explanation. He had never even considered such things. He was of course only a child and a young one at that, but all he ever thought one needed to be Hokage was power and strength. He never truly knew how devastatingly powerful the Hokages really were. He only knew that he would take that hat one day after becoming strong. That was pretty much it. Now that he thought things through a bit more clearly, he could easily see how ridiculous he was truly being.

Naruto knew it was possible for him though. Even though he resented the villagers for their hatred of him, he was sure he could put it in the past once he got the job. He always wondered though. Why did the villagers hate him? It was Naruto's universal question. He had other questions but that one question took the cake. He would lay awake at night just wondering the reason. But alas he never got an answer. Even when he tried to ask the man he thought of as a surrogate grandfather, the man would only smile sadly at him and tell him he didn't know. Naruto might have been loud and boisterous, but that didn't mean he was stupid; quite the opposite actually. He knew the Sandaime Hokage was hiding something. The man let it show through his body language that he was lying. Naruto's trust in the man had been slightly diminished when he first asked.

The blonde could tell there was something going on behind his back that seemingly everyone knew about but he himself. The innocent criminal, Naruto would often refer to himself as. The young blonde was brought out of his thoughts when the hooded man put his money on the counter to pay for his ramen. The man looked at the blonde for a second and finally turned around to leave.

Right before the man left, he looked over his shoulder at the young blonde. "Remember what I said kid. And if you truly want to become strong, be serious about things. Act like a ninja and then be a ninja. Don't strive for attention, strive to become strong," said the man.

With that, the man left the young blonde to his ramen, heavily in thought. Naruto couldn't stop thinking about the advice the man had given him. Who was the mysterious man anyway? He got up from his stool, paid for his small meal and walked home. It was getting late and he couldn't risk running into any shady characters in the night. It was around the time he had set his own bedtime when he arrived home. As he finished his preparations for the night and eased himself into bed, he couldn't help but remember his conversation with the mysterious man and what it all exactly entailed. . .

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That next morning, Naruto enjoyed a much welcomed day off from his Shinobi teachings. The academy had given the class two days off like they regularly did every so often. As he thought about his time at the academy, he couldn't help but sigh sadly. So far, his first year was not turning out for the best. The teachers would very often neglect him. He still didn't know how to read and thus whenever he got homework, he couldn't complete it to the best of his ability. He had asked the Hokage if he could help him learn but the man was just too busy. He did give Naruto a bit of base knowledge but it wasn't nearly enough. The teachers of course were suppose to refine his knowledge and teach him further but they would often find reasons to kick him out of the classroom or just plainly ignore his requests for help.

Naruto would often forget about his studies when they continued to ignore him and gain their attention by paying them back with pranks. He would act like a clown and do stupid things because no one would listen to him at all otherwise, not even the other kids. Naruto was completely alone and he knew it. He often felt as though he had nothing at all to lose and so didn't mind his reputation being tarnished if it meant he could get people to just acknowledge his existence.

The mysterious man though had brought up some valid points. Why should he care about attention? Sure he was utterly alone, but did it matter? No. His resolve was strong as his new goals were made up in his mind. He would strive to gain strength and knowledge and then when he was ready, he would show his strength to the world and earn the peoples' respect. He was still wary to forgive anyone, even the Sandaime for withholding information from him; but he figured he could get around to that.

He would stop his attempts to gain attention from those who only laughed at or ignored him. He would now devote his time to becoming strong and gaining knowledge.

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The first step to accomplishing his goals, Naruto thought, would probably be learning how to read. The only way to learn how to read would probably be going to ask the Hokage. Naruto knew the man was very busy but he was confident that the elderly Hokage would think of something. With a new resole to learn, Naruto discreetly made his way to the Hokage's Tower.

Upon arrival, Naruto noted the secretary working tentatively on some papers before her. The woman looked over as Naruto entered the tower and she tensed. The woman didn't hate Naruto but she was still apprehensive. Just thinking about the fact that the boy held the strongest and most evil of worldly beings ever known frightened her. She knew the Hokage had liked the boy and that eased her fears to at least be around and address the boy.

"Hello, Naruto-san. Would you like to speak with Sandaime-sama?" Asked the secretary.

Naruto nodded and smiled at the woman. He could tell this woman was a bit wary of him but at least she didn't outright hate him. The woman nodded her head and allowed him entry.

The Sandaime Hokage was tired from his job, oddly enough. One would think being one of the most powerful Shinobi in the world would condition you for the work of a Kage but sadly that was not the case. The tiring work, of course, was his infinite amount of paperwork and documentation. He had put his mind to trying to figure out a way past his work but sadly he could never seem to come up with any solution. He prided himself on being a wise and intelligent fighter instead of a brawler, and so when he found he could not figure out a way past his problem, it was a definite blow to his pride.

The Hokage was brought out of his thoughts as someone opened his door. Normally, Sarutobi would be angry that there would be someone who would be so rude as to blatantly walk into his office without so much as a knock, but when he saw the short, blonde child, he was instantly a bit happier. Naruto was the shine on a dark day for the elderly Hokage. He pitied the boy for the things he had to go through. It always hurt him to tell the boy that he didn't know why the villagers hated him or that his parents died in the Kyuubi's attack and he didn't know who they were. Naruto was so curious about the things he never got to have and it hurt to not be able to even give him a hint to his questions. If anyone were to find out who the boy's true parents were, he would be in constant danger. Sarutobi knew it wasn't the least bit fair but he had to keep it a secret, at least until the blonde was mature enough to handle the news, and even then, it could be dangerous to tell him everything for fear he would become hateful of the village and its people as well as the old Hokage himself.

Sarutobi tried to make his life better by enacting laws and trying to give him a decent living, but his plans failed miserably. Every person on the civilian council hated the boy with a passion and some of the Shinobi council weren't much better. He couldn't give the boy a decent living because all of the orphanages refused to house him. He then had to try to find an apartment complex, though the elderly Hokage was wary of doing this just because the boy was so young. Sarutobi tried to find a decent and well kept apartment complex but no landlord accepted the young blonde. He eventually found the boy a home, though it was possibly the worst possible. The apartment complex he had to live in was rundown and pretty much due for demolition. The building was located in the slums of Konoha and the landlord was poor and only allowed the blonde to stay because of the money he brought to him. There were only four apartments in the complex and only Naruto lived in the building because of where it was located and the fact that he lived there made people avoid it at all costs.

Sarutobi knew that what happened to Naruto was one of his worst mistakes, possibly on par with him letting Orochimaru leave the village. He tried to help the young blonde whenever he got the chance but his duties constantly got in the way. The short boy walked up to his desk with a contemplative look on his face.

"Hey Jiji-san," muttered the blonde.

Sarutobi smiled at the young boy. "Yes, Naruto-kun, did you need something?" Asked the Hokage.

Naruto furrowed his brow in thought, trying to figure out the best way to go about things. He eventually nodded to himself and looked on to the village leader with determination. "Yes Jiji, I do. I want you to teach me how to read," replied Naruto firmly.

Sarutobi's eyebrow rose at the blonde. "Don't you already know how to read, Naruto-kun? The academy instructors were supposed to teach you," replied Sarutobi confusedly.

Naruto nodded. "Yah, but every time I asked them to help me, they ignored me or didn't help me with what I asked for. They don't like me there," said Naruto with a scowl.

The Hokage's features hardened as he learned of this. He was surprised to hear that the academy instructors would go so far as to sabotage Naruto's learning. He should have known something like this would happen. He sighed as he looked on at the young blonde. "I'm sorry Naruto. I didn't know they would do such a thing. I will have to find you a tutor to help you catch up," replied Sarutobi.

Naruto scowled at the Hokage's offering. "I don't want a tutor, Jiji-san. They will only do the same thing as the Academy teachers," proclaimed Naruto firmly.

The elderly Hokage sighed as he thought of a way to accommodate the young blonde. "I don't know what else to do, Naruto-kun. I can't teach you because of my duties. If I could be in two places at once to help you the—" the Hokage abruptly stopped his response to Naruto as realization hit him.

Kage Bunshin. The Hokage smiled knowingly as he stood up. "I know just the thing that will help you Naruto-kun," informed Sarutobi.

The Hokage brought his hands into a cross shape Ram hand sign. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," said Sarutobi softly.

An exact replica of the elderly Hokage popped into existence next to Sarutobi. The Jutsu effectively caught Naruto's attention. Naruto looked on at what just happened. Shadow Clones? He had never heard of such a thing. He remembered one of the academy instructors saying something about the Bunshin no Jutsu but the technique Naruto saw that man perform was called the 'Bunshin no Jutsu,' not the 'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.' Naruto wondered if there was a difference in them.

Sarutobi smiled as his clone walked forward. "Come with me, Naruto-kun. I will help you learn how to read," proclaimed the clone.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the clone. "How can it teach me how to read if it's just a Bunshin?" Asked the blonde.

Both the Hokage and said clone chuckled. "This is a 'Kage Bunshin,' Naruto-kun, not a regular Bunshin," replied the real Hokage.

Naruto's brow furrowed in thought. "What's the difference?" Asked Naruto.

"Well, for one, Kage Bunshin are solid clones. They also can think and move on their own, though they only follow the instruction of their creator. The weakness of the technique is that the clones can be dispelled quite easily if one is to be hit or touched roughly or if they are caught by a blunt, sharp or jagged object," explained the Hokage thoughtfully.

Naruto's eyes were wide at the end of the Hokage's explanation. He was thinking of the uses for such a technique. He could actually be at two places at once. Naruto was about to ask the elderly Hokage to teach him the technique, but his common sense told him no. The Hokage couldn't teach a first year academy student a Jutsu. From what Naruto could gather of the technique, it was probably a high level Jutsu too. He decided he would try to figure out how to do it later.

With that, Naruto and the Hokage's clone went off to another room to help Naruto learn to read.

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Naruto continued this routine with the Hokage's clone for 2 months. Every day after the academy, he would head to the Hokage's Tower and spend approximately 3 hours learning. They studied and practiced reading comprehension and writing. At the end of the 2 months, Naruto was finally adept and experienced at the practice of reading and understanding what he read and writing as well. Sarutobi was surprised at how quick the young blonde picked up both practices. The elderly leader noted Naruto definitely had great potential. The blonde would learn things quickly and then practice what he learned nonstop until he grasped and mastered the concept.

Naruto noticed Sarutobi was a good teacher. The old man would explain things in a way that just made you want to learn what he was trying to teach. It was a good experience for both. Naruto also learned a bit more about the Shadow clone technique. He found out after one of his reading sessions with the clone that somehow, the actual Hokage knew everything the clone and Naruto did. When asked about this, the village leader explained the 'Kage Bunshin' technique in detail and the fact that it was a technique primarily used for scouting and intelligence. He explained that it could also be used to overwhelm an enemy, but that usually no one used it for that purpose. The Hokage told Naruto of the fact that it was a forbidden technique because of the huge amounts of chakra it requires.

Naruto was astounded to hear of the applications of the technique. Every time he went to the Tower to practice his reading and writing, he would make a point to analyze everything the Hokage did while performing the technique. He noted the seal used, the way the Hokage's chakra seemed to push out from his center and the way his body would tense while uttering the name of the technique. Naruto made sure to write everything he knew and analyzed of the technique down in a spare scroll so that he could practice and perform it.

Naruto's class standing didn't really go up after learning how to properly read and write. The teachers would often give him harder assignments than the others of the class and many times, they would neglect to help him with the difficult homework he was given. Naruto never once gave into the oppression of the teachers. He made a solemn vow to keep strong through their jibes and hate. The teachers would often mock him for his poor homework grades as well as his poor standing in the class.

Naruto was trying to think of a way to get past his problems as he headed to the Hokage's Tower. The Hokage usually found ways to help him through his problems and was basically the only person who seemed to care for or acknowledge him. He made his way to the Tower as he usually did on his off days and walked into the building in thought. The secretary smiled at him as he walked in. She had gotten to know the boy a bit better and didn't tense up anymore when she saw him. She saw how kindly the Hokage would regard him and how happy and serene the boy would act while around the older man. She got to distinguish the boys fake and forced smiles between the ones of genuine happiness when he was around the Hokage. The Secretary felt a bit ashamed of how she used to regard the boy. She saw that there was no correlation between the boy and the Kyuubi when it came to Naruto's personality at all. She felt sad when she saw how many others seemed to hate the boy.

The Secretary sighed as she allowed entry into the office for Naruto as she usually did. The young blonde was just a child and to have to carry the burden of the demon along with the hate of the villagers simply was unjust. She often regarded the Yondaime Hokage a great hero, but as she got to know Naruto, she felt a bit of resentment for sealing the demon into the young orphan. She knew that there was likely no other way but she couldn't help it. It just wasn't fair.

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Sarutobi stared down thoughtfully at the young blonde in front of his desk. "I don't see why not. You are an academy student and you will eventually learn the techniques, but why not just try to go to the library instead of asking me?" Asked the Hokage.

Naruto stared on blankly at the Hokage. "They don't allow me to go into the library," replied Naruto.

The village leader frowned. How cold could his people really be? Did they truly deserve to be saved if this is how they treat the one who protects them every day? Sarutobi sighed and nodded. "Alright Naruto-kun, I will give you the training scrolls on how to perform the basic three academy techniques," exclaimed the Hokage.

Naruto smiled. "Also, Jiji, I would like to ask for any scrolls that explain scenarios in battle and Jutsu theory," informed Naruto while rubbing a hand on the back of his head and smiling sheepishly.

Sarutobi's eyes widened in shock. '_What? Battle Scenarios and Jutsu Theory?_' thought the elderly leader confusedly. "Why do you need scrolls on those things, Naruto-kun?" Asked Sarutobi.

Naruto scowled. "It's my homework. The teachers won't help me with it so I wanted to read about it so I could do my homework right," replied Naruto.

The elderly Hokage frowned once more and his fists hardened on his desk. '_I know for a fact they at least don't teach Jutsu Theory at the end of the first year in the academy,_' thought Sarutobi bitterly. His features softened as he looked upon Naruto's determined face. '_At least I know you aren't letting them get to you, Naruto-kun. You will take what they give you and more._'

The Hokage smiled at Naruto. "Alright Naruto, Is there anything else you might need?" Asked Sarutobi.

Naruto rubbed his small chin thoughtfully. "Well, next year we will be working on throwing kunai and shuriken, so I might need something that can help me with that. We'll probably work on Taijutsu too, so I'll need a scroll that can explain academy Taijutsu. We will work more on history too but I don't really care much for that," informed Naruto.

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at the end of Naruto's commentary. "You don't care for History? Naruto-kun, do you know how valuable the past is to us?"

Naruto shook his head and so the Hokage continued. "That which happens in the past directly effects what happens in the future. For example, if the first Hokage didn't create the Kage Bunshin technique, it is likely you would still have problems with your writing and reading. Do you understand, Naruto-kun?"Asked Sarutobi.

Naruto nodded his head but still seemed as though he didn't care for history. The elderly Hokage sighed. "Well, you can learn about all of the powerful and 'awesome' techniques created by ninja's of the past," informed the Hokage with a hidden smile.

Naruto's eyes lit up as he thought of what the Hokage had just told him. He made a point to definitely study history more often. "Alright, Jiji-san, that is all I need," replied Naruto with a smile.

Sarutobi smiled back and nodded his head. "Come back tomorrow and I will have what you need ready, Naruto-kun," informed the Hokage gingerly.

Naruto nodded and headed home to wait for the next day.

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Naruto smiled as he looked through his basic three academy Jutsu scroll. The techniques seemed simple enough and he was happy with now having a chance to not just barely pass the academy. He sighed. While the basic 3 academy ninjutsu techniques were highly valuable, the history homework took priority. He pulled out said history homework and a scroll containing the historical information and got started. As he read through his homework, one question caught his eye:

_4.) Describe the technique the Yondaime Hokage was most commonly known for._

He skimmed through his history scroll for the information and as he found it, his eyes lit up in interest.

_The signature technique of the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure earned him the nickname, 'Yellow Flash' and it is also what turned the tables in the Third Great War. Namikaze Minato, otherwise known as the Yondaime Hokage, was the one who created the legendary technique. He named it the 'Hiraishin no Jutsu' for unknown reasons. The technique was rumored to have allowed the user to travel at the speed of light. Namikaze-sama was known to have taken out large groups of enemy-nin in mere seconds using the technique._

_It is still a mystery as to how to perform the techniques although it was confirmed that Fuuinjutsu was the primary means of performing the Hiraishin. There have been many Fuuinjutsu specialists that have tried to recreate the technique but all attempts have been futile. Many have declared that the technique involves a bloodline limit but tests were administered to determine whether or not the Yondaime truly had one and nonetheless, the tests were negative. In the Third Great War, Iwagakure ninja were most fearful of. . . _

As Naruto finished reading, his eyes were wide in shock and his lips came apart in gradual awe. He quietly contemplated to himself the power of such a technique. It described the Jutsu as a teleportation technique that used space-time ninjutsu, an art that only a handful of Shinobi in the world could even come close to understanding and even less could utilize the art to a good level.

That's when it came to him.

One of the easiest techniques a Shinobi uses, a Jutsu that every ninja out of the academy knows and utilizes often, a Jutsu that he, Naruto himself, learned of and read about recently while in his academy class one day: the Kawarimi no Jutsu.

The technique was supposed to replace you with an object nearby. It was a low-level teleportation technique similar to some technique called Shunshin. It said that it was time-space ninjutsu at its lowest level. But it was still time-space ninjutsu nonetheless and that's what caught Naruto's interest. A technique that dispersed your body into nothing but chakra as well as the object you wish to replace yourself with and then, instantly, you are where the other object was. Naruto couldn't help but think about the technique and how it reminded him of the Hiraishin.

The Hiraishin was rumored to have allowed the user to teleport instantly over vast distances. Wouldn't the Kawarimi do the same technique except for the vast distances part and the fact that you'd need something to replace yourself with. It was with that thought that Naruto made another promise to himself: To create a Jutsu that would utilize speed and time-space ninjutsu to a high degree; just like the Yondaime.

He would be that much closer to his dream.

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Well, there you have it.

Pretty cool idea, eh? Though I can't say it's totally original.

I wanted to try something like this when I read a story similar to it though I believe my story will include a little more details and better grammar (*cough*).

It will also have totally different occurrences as well as a different plotline. There will be other characters and the storyline will be a lot different than the story I found similar to this one.

I hope you guys like it and I'll be looking forward to your opinions of it as well. (That means review.)


	2. Chapter 2: Natural Energy

Title: Hiraishin Reborn

Author: AaronTT71

Genre: Adventure/General

Summary: One mysterious man advises Naruto to stop playing pranks and joking around. Naruto will take his Shinobi training seriously from a young age and utilize his true potential to its fullest. A simple low rank technique will be modified into something that will rival even the famed Hiraishin.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I wouldn't be wasting my time writing this fine piece of Fanfiction, rather I would be on a beach sipping an alcoholic beverage and laughing at all the losers who don't own Naruto. Yup.

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**Authors Note:** To answer some questions, yes, this story will progress similarly to canon with the exception of a few things. Naruto will not be as, well, stupid and hard-headed as seen in canon. He will still have many of the same traits but he will have a calm exterior in battle and he will have a serious side as well. He will catch on to things quick and work hard while still having many of his oppressors against him. I refuse to believe he would not have any intelligence like in canon, especially considering who his father was. In canon, they said Naruto's father was a genius and from what I saw of his mom, well, she didn't look stupid really at all.

Naturally, Naruto should have good genes. He will not be a super genius but he will be smart; only few will know though because of how people hate and or ignore him and many of his classmates will still think of him as 'Dead-Last.' He would probably be number one if he had help and wasn't given harder work than the other kids. It will all prove to help him though in the end—the harder work will give him a stronger knowledge of things.

Also, Pairings will happen, though with Naruto, it will be different. I have come to dislike Naruto/Hinata pairings, so she won't be his special other. I don't really like any other characters with him either, so I'll probably just make up my own female character for him or use one of the less-seen females on the show. The reason I don't want any of the regularly seen girls with him is because many of them either ignored, disliked or didn't even find him interesting in his youth. If he suddenly becomes cool because of his Jutsu and then they want him, that's just not right. I'm not going to pair him up with someone who's looking for popularity or a knight in shining armor or something. Well that's it for now, time for the story.

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Chapter 2:

Naruto cheered to himself as he opened the door to his apartment. His first academy year was finally over with. He would finally get some break time from the extensive homework he was given. It was only a month until the second year would start but he appreciated it. The teachers were still making it almost impossible for him to do well but he at least persisted. He would never give up, even if they did find blatantly stupid excuses to make him stay outside the class almost every day.

He decided he really didn't need to be in class. Most of the teachers were incompetent and it was never very fun to listen to lectures about the Great wars every day. Naruto decided he would spend his time away training instead. He was already getting started with the 3 basic techniques, Kawarimi especially. He was also looking into his scrolls containing information on basic Taijutsu and weapons throwing. The concepts and instructions in the scrolls were well-explained and he had an entire month to practice so things were going relatively well.

Realizing how helpful books and scrolls could be, Naruto was heading to the nin-library to see if there was anything useful. He of course was wearing a subtle disguise so that he wouldn't immediately get thrown out upon entering. An overly large hooded jacket and small sunglasses got him in easily. He knew he would never get to read anything that had a level of importance above D-rank, even then, he could probably find something useful.

His assumptions proved correct as he found several books he supposed would help him. One book talked of the attire of an example Shinobi. Another talked of the ideal diet for a healthy ninja. There were a bit more but he didn't have much time before the nin-library would close and he obviously couldn't check the books out so he decided to write some notes down on the most important aspects of the books.

He left the nin-library after he wrote down a sufficient amount of information on what to wear as a Shinobi and what he should eat. He read in the book of what a ninja should wear that all ninja should be well versed in stealth and evasion tactics. It went on to explain that a good ninja should wear neutral colors for clothing and that their clothing should be extremely easy to move around in. Naruto sighed. He would need to get rid of his orange jump suit. It was pretty baggy and the color was opposite of neutral.

Naruto headed off into the market district to look for suitable clothes for a Shinobi. He was planning on how exactly he would get into the shop when he remembered he still had his disguise on. He smiled to himself as he entered the ninja clothing shop and the owner just gave him a nod and a gesture of welcome. Naruto returned the man's nod and went off in search of the clothes he was looking for. He looked for his size and it was a bit difficult to find something small enough for him but he eventually came around to it.

When he found something small enough for him, he sighed. There was a long-sleeved, dark navy blue, turtle neck shirt. The shirt was form fitting it seemed and there were four more of the same shirt behind it. Naruto shrugged and sighed. It was good enough, he surmised. It wasn't something that particularly fit his tastes, but it was what would help him blend in better. He went to look for pants and, oddly enough, there were about five pairs of dark navy blue standard Shinobi pants that were his size and matched his shirts as well. 5 shirts and five pairs of pants; it would take a bit out of his savings but he knew he needed them if he wanted to improve his skills.

Naruto bought the clothes and muffled his voice to the shop owner for the added effect of his disguise. He smiled as he carried his bags of clothing inconspicuously to his apartment.

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Not too long after buying his clothes and dropping them off at his home, Naruto went to the food market and bought the needed food for a fit diet, his disguise succeeding once again. As he walked home, he reminisced about all of the times he was kicked out of places and wondered why he didn't just wear a disguise then. He shrugged his shoulders, he would certainly wear it now, or at least until he could learn the Henge technique.

When arriving home, Naruto put his food away and got on his night clothes. It was already almost night and he would need to sleep soon, especially if he were to want to wake up early to train. He got out his scroll on the Kawarimi and the notes he'd already developed. He had come up with some ideas regarding how to turn the Kawarimi into something better. He remembered his homework on Jutsu theory and the theory that the Toad-Sannin of Konoha made about how all things, organic or not have energy and or chakra.

The man explained that all things have some type of energy or chakra, and that is why humans would be able to use the Kawarimi to replace themselves with those things. Of course, the stuff about the Kawarimi was only a small side-part. The man was trying to prove that all humans have some unconsciously known way to detect natural energy or something. Naruto didn't really pay attention to the whole natural energy-detecting thing, but what he did learn about Kawarimi caught his interest.

In the scroll containing the Kawarimi technique, it said that the recommended object to replace one's self with was the trunk/log or branch of a tree. Even though it said that because Konoha has so many trees, it would also explain why humans use the parts of the tree to switch with because trees are organic and probably have the most nature chakra out of all of the things to replace one's self with. In the theory, Jiraiya said that trees obviously contain natural energy chakra because of how much easier it is to use them in conjunction with the Kawarimi.

Naruto desperately tried to push all of the information through his head and make it into something but it was becoming more difficult as he read along. So, all things contain nature-energy-chakra and that's how people can switch with them? He was scowling at his notes. He needed to somehow develop a way to use the Kawarimi without switching with an object. It would be difficult but he just needed to focus. . .

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As Naruto shrugged on his fishnet body suit under his new dark blue, long sleeved, turtle neck shirt and pants, he couldn't help but smile. His new outfit might not have fit his tastes perfectly but it did feel comfortable. He even felt he looked a bit better in the outfit. He noticed his hair was getting a bit too long for him to see properly and so he picked up a spare streak of dark blue cloth and tied it around his forehead. His hair was still in his line of sight so he just decided to move his bangs to the side. Oddly enough, his hair never needed anything to help keep it in place; it always moved as he wanted it to and it usually stayed that way.

{0)(0}

After the first two weeks, with the help of his scrolls, Naruto mastered all three academy techniques. He was working on doing the techniques without seals as well as lessening the amount of smoke produced from the techniques. It was becoming increasingly difficult because every time he tried, it was as if his control was lessoning on the entire technique. The academy scroll mentioned a basic chakra control exercise involving a leaf and trying to stick it to your forehead or something so he decided on giving that a try sometime soon.

His control wasn't too great but he was puzzling over the amount of chakra he seemed to have. He knew from his studies and homework that if a person has a lot of stamina, then they most likely have a lot of chakra and the saying went both ways. Naruto felt as though he never got tired. He even worked on basic Taijutsu and conditioning exercises for over 7 hours and he wasn't that tired afterward. If what he guessed was true, at least based on all he read, then he had an unnaturally high amount of chakra. He was wondering if he should go ask the Hokage about it but he knew he couldn't. There was something to it that made things suspicious. He didn't just have pretty big reserves, he had _huge_ amounts chakra within him.

He could sometimes literally feel the chakra flowing out of him like it wanted desperately to escape when ever he performed a Jutsu. There were always large amounts escaping and he wondered how he was able to even perform any techniques. He couldn't worry about it though. He had to further his notes on the theories of how to change the Kawarimi. He was close and he could feel it but he couldn't definitively see it.

'_How do I teleport if I have to switch with something first?_' The blonde asked himself. He could successfully perform the technique but he couldn't find a way past the barrier that was teleporting without an object. He could almost even perform it successfully without seals, but he just couldn't get past his main problem. He surmised he could just ask the Hokage without letting too much slip about what he was really doing. With that thought in mind, he abandoned his previous activities and made his way to the Hokage's Tower.

{0)(0}

The Hokage looked on at the young blonde before him confusedly. Why would he want to know why Shinobi needed an object to switch with when using the Kawarimi technique? Didn't its name serve the purpose? Sarutobi shrugged it off as childish wondering and decided to show his vast knowledge of every technique owned and created by the Leaf village. "I'm not sure why you would wonder of something so trivial, but I will tell you what I know of the technique," declared the Hokage nonchalantly.

Naruto inwardly grinned. The Hokage was definitely a smart man and, as far as Naruto could tell, he knew everything when it came to being a ninja. Naruto would sometimes dose off when the older man would discuss his Jutsu theory homework. The Hokage would just go on and on about the reasons and needs for molding chakra and hand signs and much, much more. He knew so much about everything, Naruto would usually go to him when ever he had trouble with anything concerning his studies or that of being a Shinobi.

The Hokage sighed and took on his thinking pose. "The Kawarimi, Naruto, is a very low level Ninjutsu technique. What can you tell me of what you read in scroll I gave you of the technique?" Asked Sarutobi softly.

Naruto's face scrunched up in thought and Sarutobi chuckled at the cute look. "Well, it was a brief explanation but it said that the Kawarimi was a space/time Ninjutsu at its lowest level. It also said that when we use it, our body is displaced into subatomic particles of chakra as well as the object we chose to switch with and somehow, we instantly switch places with it. I wondered how we were able to do that and I found a theory by some Jiraiya guy. He said that all people can subconsciously detect natural energy or something but I was paying more attention to what he said about natural energy having to do with the Kawarimi technique. He said that it was easier to switch with logs and other parts of trees because of their abundance of natural energy and that we unknowingly sense that energy and that somehow makes it easier for us to switch," said Naruto while rubbing his chin.

The Hokage's eyes were wide the entire time he listened to Naruto. Why was the blonde so interested in such a simple technique that he would go so far as to research it so thoroughly? Sarutobi was also impressed by Naruto's vocabulary. The young boy was only almost eight years old and was already reading about semi-complex Jutsu theories. The Hokage shook his head in disbelief. The academy instructors were giving him more difficult work in an attempt to sabotage the young blonde and they unknowingly were making him smarter.

Sarutobi chuckled lightly. "That's very good, Naruto-kun. You certainly have done your research. Well, to answer your questions, yes, it is most likely true that we can subconsciously detect natural energy and that is the reason we are able to use the Kawarimi so easily with parts of trees and other natural things. What that scroll didn't mention though, is that your sensing of those natural energies has everything to do with performing the technique."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Why is that, Jiji-san?" Asked Naruto.

The Hokage smiled. "Because, we unknowingly sense the energies and when we mold our chakra and perform the technique, we are in the place of where we sensed those energies. In other words, we are attracted to the energy we sensed and our chakra dissipates into those subatomic particles and, in my theory, we are then pulled through an unseen vacuum of space as well as the object we 'switch' with. I believe we also unknowingly make a connection with the natural energies we sense and that is how we are able to cause the object and ourselves to slip through parallel vacuums of space. It is actually quite a complex technique if one thinks about it more thoroughly. . ." Sarutobi trailed off in thought.

Meanwhile, Naruto was frantically writing down on a small notepad. He was deeply intrigued with what the Hokage had to say, even if he didn't understand some of what he was talking about. Like, parallel vacuum in space? What the hell was that? Naruto shrugged as he finished writing down what the Hokage told him.

The Sandaime watched in amusement as Naruto thanked him and then quickly scurried out of the office. He knew Naruto was a smart boy and he hoped others would notice so that they could help push him along.

As he remembered his conversation with the blonde, he now recalled the choice of clothing and small hairstyle Naruto displayed. The Hokage's eyes widened when he realized Naruto looked exactly like his father. Sarutobi was a bit worried. He didn't know why Naruto decided to make his hair similar to the Yondaime's or why he decided to wear the same clothes save the Jounin flak vest, but it made him feel uneasy. He knew the villagers probably wouldn't make any connection because of their hatred for the boy but the ones who were neutral or those who didn't hate him such as the people who ran that ramen shop Naruto loved so much might.

The older generation who knew of what Naruto carried who weren't hateful of him would start to make logical deductions and that would not be good. Sarutobi would have let everyone and Naruto know who his true parents were if it weren't for the enemies his heritage would attract. Naruto already had people out for his head, he didn't need more. The Hokage was regretful of his decision to keep it a secret, but it was all for the safety of Naruto. He couldn't tell him until he was at least a Chuunin and even then, he wasn't sure he could disclose the information.

The Sandaime sighed as he rubbed his temples, trying to quell his headache. He didn't know what to do and he could only hope people wouldn't start asking the wrong questions.

{0)(0}

Naruto was enjoying a hot bowl of ramen as he mulled over what the Hokage had told him. His technique had everything to do with natural energy, sensing the energy and vacuums in space. He scowled as he couldn't find any kind of logical connection between the three things. He surmised he probably was an expert on everything having to do with the Kawarimi and could probably shock and impress some academy instructors with the knowledge he'd gained of the technique.

But he couldn't let any of his information get out into the public. With his new understanding of the technique, he was that much closer to creating his technique. He was so absorbed in thought that he never noticed a person sit down on one of the stools near him.

"Hmph, small world, eh kid?" Declared a hooded man near Naruto.

Naruto looked to the side and his eyes widened. "You!" Yelled Naruto as he pointed his finger at the man next to him, "What are you doing here again?!"

The man was amused by the young blonde boy. "Can't a guy go out and eat some ramen?" Asked the man in amusement.

Naruto's face turned a bit sheepish as he looked away. "Eheheheh, well. . ." Muttered Naruto, now embarrassed by his outburst.

The man waved his hand. "So, did you take my advice?" Asked the man nonchalantly.

Naruto's face suddenly turned fiercely determined and he nodded seriously. "I'm not playing pranks anymore for attention. I'm still not doing well in my class but I got better," said the blonde.

"That's good to hear," said the hooded man in a low tone.

Naruto went back to his thoughts as soon as his conversation was over. The man looked over at the now very quiet blonde. The man could tell Naruto was deep in thought. He wasn't particularly interested but he didn't have anything else to do so he decided to question the boy for his thoughts.

"What's got you thinkin' so hard kid?" Asked the man blandly.

Naruto looked up at him confusedly. "Huh? Oh, well I don't know how I'm supposed to sense something called natural energy. I found out that people can sense it but only without knowing we do. It's like a thing we do unconsciously and I want to know how to do it consciously," informed Naruto without really thinking.

The hooded man's eyes widened. How could this young boy even know about natural energy much less worry about how to sense it? He was genuinely surprised. There was more to the boy than he initially thought.

The hooded man smiled under his hood. "Then you're in luck, kid, because I happen to know how to do exactly that," declared the man, effectively shocking Naruto.

"How? How do you sense it?" Asked Naruto excitedly.

The man smirked. "Hmm, well, it's not really something I can just tell you. . . Here, follow me," said the man while putting down his money as Naruto followed suit.

{0)(0}

When Naruto reached the training clearing with the man and the man took off his hood, what he saw shocked him. The man was seemingly fairly old despite how young-sounding his voice was. He had short grey hair and a small beard of the same color. His eyes were very narrow and he had wrinkles that adorned his slightly scarred face. There was a small but noticeable scar on his right cheek just below his right eye. The man had dark and seemingly onyx eyes and his full pupils were hard to see because his eyes were so narrowed.

The rest of the man's body was covered by his cloak but Naruto could tell the man was pretty fit, despite his old age. The man smiled down at the blonde. "Hello. My name is Tatakah Ryuusuke, but you may call me Ryuu," informed the elderly man.

Naruto shook his head to gather his thoughts and then nodded. "Hai, Ryuu-san. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, but you may call me Naruto," replied Naruto.

The man nodded his head and then he walked Naruto and himself over to some trees. "Alright, Naruto-kun, I'm going to teach you the little that I know of how to sense natural energy. Sit down in a meditative stance against that tree," said Ryuu.

Naruto did as he was told and the man then continued. "Now, before we start I will inform you of some things. I only know of how to do this because I am a fairly skilled chakra sensory type and I have done a great deal of research into this subject. Natural energy was always something I have been interested in and it was because of this that I have spent so much time researching it to find out if I could sense it or use it in a way. I was initially interested with it because, like you stated before, I couldn't consciously sense it. For a natural sensor type like me not being able to sense a type of chakra energy was a low blow. I made it my goal a long time ago to find a way to sense this energy," said the man much like how the Hokage would talk of Jutsu theory.

The man looked thoughtful for a second but then continued. "Awhile after I made that goal and started to research it, I came across a man named Jiraiya."

Naruto's eyes widened. There was that guy again! This Jiraiya person seemed to like natural energy or something because his name seemed to pop up when ever the subject of natural energy came up.

"I discussed some things with him and somehow natural energy came up in our discussion. He asked me everything I knew of it, which wasn't much and then he told me what he knew of it. It turns out at the time, Jiraiya was being taught something called Senjutsu by his summoning creatures. Senjutsu is the art of sensing and then balancing and harnessing natural energy. He taught me the basics of how to sense but wouldn't go any further than that because of the consequences of natural energy," informed the man.

Naruto was paying complete attention. This Senjutsu or whatever it was was very intriguing and he wanted to know more about it. The man paused in his story but then nodded as if confirming something and looked back to Naruto.

"There are severe consequences for those who try harnessing natural chakra without the proper supervision," declared Ryuu seriously, "For Jiraiya, his summoning creatures are the toads. They are apparently the only beings to know how to balance and control natural chakra. Jiraiya told me that while he trained with them, they had to constantly supervise his training so that he wouldn't lose control of the nature-chakra after gathering it."

Naruto's interested expression turned confused. "Control?" Asked Naruto.

The old man nodded. "Yes. He told me that first he had to sense it and then he had to gather it and pull it in and then finally balance it within him. He had to balance it equally along with his own physical and spiritual energies. That means he had to balance three different energies within himself and then control them in synch so he could use the nature-chakra in conjunction with his own," informed Ryuu.

Naruto was awed by his explanation. He knew how to balance both aspects of his chakra and that was already difficult. A third energy to balance so he could use it effectively would probably be difficult. He was confused though because the man said that it was super dangerous or something.

As if reading his mind the man started telling of the dangers. "It's dangerous because without the supervision from his toads, he would die trying to balance it. The nature-chakra is very powerful and just as unstable. There are many things one must do to learn how to control natural-chakra and Jiraiya has managed to control and learn the methods with the help of his toads. I have never tried to harness the chakra because I know from Jiraiya that I would die if I tried because I have no experience or knowledge of how to control it."

Naruto was even more shocked. Who knew nature-chakra was so awesome and dangerous? Naruto never thought twice about what nature-chakra could do but from what the man told him, it was obviously something very powerful based on all of the dangers one would have to go through to learn how to control it.

The man sighed and then continued. "I'm not sure how you will do. It is very difficult to even sense natural chakra. I'm a skilled sensor type and it took me about a month. That was considerably longer than I ever thought it would take but I did manage to sense it. I can tell you aren't a sensor type but I'm sure you can do this if you try hard enough."

Naruto nodded with a determined look on his face, waiting to learn what he needed. The man smiled at how determined he was. He had no doubt the boy would be able to do it. He was sure of it because the boy looked so determined. It was unlikely that he would give up.

Ryuu cleared his throat for his explanation. "To sense natural chakra, first you must forget about everything. You must simply stay completely still and let go of everything that is happening. You must welcome new sensations of every kind. Don't worry about anything. Only focus on sitting completely still and the welcoming of nature. You will know when you feel the energy of nature all around you. The sensation will be distinct. If you manage to do this, you will soon feel like drawing on the energy. When that feeling comes, immediately stop what you are doing at all costs. You will die if you try to gather the energy within you. I'm not sure you will be able to anyway because you know nothing of gathering a foreign chakra, but I'm telling you this just incase. Do you understand?" Asked the man after his long explanation.

Naruto nodded. He had been taking notes on his mini note pad and he knew what to do. "So, is that all I need to do?" Asked the young blonde.

The man nodded. "It's much more difficult than you think, I'm sure, but yes, that is all that I know. Now I must go. I don't actually live in Konoha anymore; I'm only visiting my grandchildren. Perhaps we will meet again sometime, Naruto-kun," said the elderly man as he started walking away.

Naruto stared on incredulously at the man's back as he slowly walked away. Before he could say thank you, the man disappeared. Naruto couldn't help but smile as he recalled all of his day's previous events. He knew he was closer to his goal. With that, he started his meditation.

{0)(0}

Chapter 2 is finished.

I hope you guys like it.

I had to think hard to come up with a lot of this crap but in the end it worked out.

Tell me what you think and feel free to ask more questions.

Stay tuned!


	3. Chapter 3: Fuuinjutsu

Title: Hiraishin Reborn

Author: AaronTT71

Genre: Adventure/General

Summary: One mysterious man advises Naruto to stop playing pranks and joking around. Naruto will take his Shinobi training seriously from a young age and utilize his true potential to its fullest. A simple low rank technique will be modified into something that will rival even the famed Hiraishin.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I wouldn't be wasting my time writing this fine piece of Fanfiction, rather I would be on a beach sipping an alcoholic beverage and laughing at all the losers who don't own Naruto. Yup.

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**Author's Note:** Alright. You guys are too hung up on pairings. I'm not going to pair Naruto up for awhile, so don't get your hopes up at least until chapter 6. One of you made a comment about Naruto's education and that the Hokage can do something about it. Well, I figure that he could, but that would increase animosity toward Naruto and even if he got new teachers, pretty much everyone in Konoha hates Naruto or are at least a bit wary of him (Except of course the small few that like him or are neutral towards him). Nonetheless, let's just say the Hokage thinks on these terms and so he lets what happens go on because even though he knows Naruto's class standing isn't good, he also knows that Naruto is intelligent and grasps the material anyway.

Now, when I said my story would be similar to canon, I meant it in a different way. I'll be more specific this time: the events in my story will follow the same way as in canon with the exception of a few add-ons/AU moments in Naruto's early years. It'll be like: Naruto gets paired with same team 7, Zabuza arc, Tsunade arc, etc. I'll only have like _maybe _3 OC characters as well, so don't have a fit about just that. I've also decided that when I _do _pair Naruto up, it will likely be with a lesser-seen female from canon. I'm thinking Sasume, but I'm not completely sure.

Sorry for the time-skips. I'm sure other writers can sympathize. It wastes time to write out every day. Anyway, I've talked enough; let's get to the story. Enjoy!

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Chapter 3: Fuuinjutsu

Frustration; the word defined what was the majority of a certain blonde's mindset. He was trying, he truly was, but for some reason, he just couldn't do what he was so desperately working at. Never once had Naruto thought meditating of all things would be difficult. Trying to sense natural energy was like being too short to reach the cookie jar on the top shelf and not having any way to reach it with the exception of trying to somehow will it to you with your mind. In other words, at least to Naruto, it was just impossible.

It had been a week and a half and Naruto was getting no closer to sensing natural energy. Sitting around and doing nothing, especially trying to sit completely still was something Naruto found oddly difficult. He had even tried using his newly acquired skill with Kage Bunshin to help. He had been trying to replicate the technique from what he saw, and found that one only needed to use the ram hand sign and push chakra out from their center. It was easy enough to figure out but Naruto was quite proud of himself for doing so.

Despite his accomplishment, Naruto was getting nowhere with his main goal. He knew the knowledge and experience a clone obtained came back to the user upon its dispersal. That one reason was why Naruto wanted to use the Jutsu. He knew he had a lot of chakra so it was a simple decision for him to try to utilize his abilities in any way. The Kage Bunshin technique was probably the best technique for him. The possibilities were countless. Years of trying to hone his chakra control as well as learning things simultaneously could be trimmed down to mere months. Well, that was if he could find better chakra control exercises and useful ninja reading material.

Though he used the few Kage Bunshin he managed to make help him by each meditating and immediately dispelling themselves if they felt any sort of sensation, it still unfortunately didn't help. He sighed and finally got up from his meditative position. There was not much to do. Naruto only had about 4 days until his second year at the academy would commence. He would have to hold off on his meditation and focus on preparing for his classes.

As he walked down the busy streets of Konoha towards his apartment, not intimidated by the hateful and or wary stares he was receiving, he noticed a Chuunin weaving in and out of the peoples' ways frantically, as if he was in an extreme hurry. The man was carrying at least ten medium sized scrolls. He was barely containing the load of scrolls and his frantic movements weren't helping him either. The man didn't even spare Naruto a glance as he hurried past him.

In the man's haste, he managed to drop one of the larger scrolls. The man didn't even notice the displacement in weight as he continued on his rush through the bustling streets of Konoha. Naruto saw all of this. He shouted to the unknown Chuunin but his voice was drowned out by the loud sounds of the city's inhabitants as they walked by. Naruto walked over to the scroll that people were now just walking around as if it didn't garner any of their interest. Naruto sighed as he picked up the fairly large scroll and continued on his way home. He supposed he could just give it to the Hokage the next day.

Finally arriving at the apartment he lived in, he ate his early dinner and got focused on trying to further the progress he had made with his technique. It wasn't much, but he was on the way to creating it. He went over his notes once more as if to further raise his expertise. He sighed when he finished reading all of his notes. There was not much to do, especially at mid-day. He put away his notes and got ready for an early bedtime. He didn't really have anything else to do and he was sick of meditating.

Naruto was about to put on his night clothes when the scroll he had brought in caught his eye. He had forgotten about the scroll he'd found. He walked over to it and plopped it on his kitchen table to see what it was. His body tensed in excitement when he noticed the B-rank level of importance sticker on the front of the scroll. Finally, something not so basic!

Naruto thought about whether or not he was right to be so eager to learn things above his league but that thought only lasted for a moment as his curiosity clouded over any rational thought he may have had. He slipped it open cautiously and read the beginning of the first part of the scroll. His eyes lit up and his mouth drew into a wide grin when he read just what the scroll was for. On the inner flap and first part of the scroll, it read _Basic and Intermediate Fuuinjutsu_.

Naruto felt a bit guilty, for he had now decided giving it back to the Hokage would definitely be a mistake. He really didn't know much about Fuuinjutsu at all but he remembered the first time he read about the Yondaime's signature technique and how it said it had something to do with Fuuinjutsu. Naruto wanted desperately to learn any new thing that would help him become a stronger ninja. The blonde remembered faintly that in his history scroll on the Yondaime, it said he was a Fuuinjutsu master.

If the Yondaime had taken the time to master such an art, it must have been worth something. Naruto wondered why he had not heard that much on Fuuinjutsu. If the _Yondaime_ had been known to have mastered it, why had not so many others tried as well? There was not much time to ponder the question as Naruto decided learning the obscure art would have to come first.

{0)(0}

The answers to Naruto's questions were answered when he was done reading the introduction. The art of sealing was something that took time. When one is fighting on the battle field, a ninja doesn't have the luxury to just pull out an ink brush and an empty scroll to start drawing seals. The art though was valuable beyond anyone's comprehension. In the scroll it described how people could create seals to do just about anything. One could draw them to create explosions, contain items, control or absorb chakra, create displacement of air or weight, and so much more. Naruto knew just by looking at what one needed to do to learn the art that it wasn't easy but he knew nothing that was worth anything would be easy.

Naruto could just see all of the possibilities. Had no one else saw them? If used properly, Naruto knew the use of seals, at least to him, would be invaluable. In the scroll it mostly described intricate patterns and shapes used to form and create seals. Each line, each shape or pattern, they all had a job. Creating a seal for any given purpose meant one had to understand the different uses and purposes for those lines, shapes and patterns. Once you understood that, you had to work on putting your own chakra into the mix and how to form the lines, shapes and patterns together so as to finally create a working seal. It was definitely an odd practice but if one experimented enough, they would be able to create a seal to do just about anything.

After Naruto had gotten past the fairly large introduction, finally understanding the uses and applications for seals, he noticed the time. It was already two hours past the time for him to go to sleep. He was debating whether or not he would sleep or stay up just to read the scroll when he had a small epiphany. He smacked his forehead for not thinking of it earlier. With that, Naruto created a Kage Bunshin, putting more chakra into it than usual so that it would stay alive through the night. The clone already knew his instructions and dutifully went to reading through the scroll while the real Naruto finished up his night routine and settled himself into his bed.

{0)(0}

After Naruto dispelled his clone in the morning after waking up, he was satisfied to receive all of its memories as if it had been him who had stayed up all night and read through the Fuuinjutsu scroll. He didn't even feel tired and yet he still felt as though it had been him who had been up all night, even though it technically was. He frowned though after processing all of the information he had received. He now knew another reason why most Shinobi didn't take a liking to the art of sealing. It was without a doubt a very complicated practice. Naruto had trouble understanding the more difficult patterns his clone read up on and their meanings.

He got his clothes on and then headed into his small kitchen for breakfast. There were 3 days left of his off-time and he knew he needed to use the time wisely. He was almost finished with mastering all of the basic academy katas and stances in his Taijutsu scroll. His practice with weapons throwing still needed a lot of work. There was much to do. He created another clone and had it stay home to study and practice Fuuinjutsu while the real Naruto grabbed his shuriken and kunai and headed out to a training field.

{0)(0}

The training routine was simple. Two hours of conditioning and warm-ups to get ready to practice his Taijutsu first. He would summon a few clones to spar with him, though it was only to help him master the academy Taijutsu. The clones had the same traits and fighting style as him so it was hard to actually improve. The Taijutsu training usually lasted another two hours. After Taijutsu, he would focus on weapons throwing. It took about two and a half hours of throwing kunai and shuriken around for him to be satisfied. After the weapons throwing, it was straight to meditation.

Naruto would usually give up after sitting still for around 3 hours. His patience only lasted so long and unlike with Taijutsu and weapons throwing, he didn't make any progress. He was contemplating whether or not to just go to the Hokage and ask him if he knew what he was doing wrong. Naruto knew it was dangerous to do so. The Hokage was a very smart man and would no doubt start making connections. The elderly man would start investigating Naruto a bit more closely and Naruto knew he had the means to do so easily. After all, why would a young boy want to learn how to sense natural energy?

Contrary to what most believe, Naruto is actually quite secretive. He knew there wasn't much people could do with the vague information he managed to gather, but he wouldn't take the risk. He needed as much of an advantage as he could get if he wanted to be Hokage. If everyone knew his secrets, it would be simple for them to use them against him in some way. He had thought long and hard about what he would need to do. He had decided he would need strong countermeasures against all of the Shinobi arts. Now that he'd discovered Fuuinjutsu, he had a possible way to make those countermeasures; at least in theory. He needed for all of his research to be hidden so that no one could possibly find a way to counter his abilities.

{0)(0}

Finally, Naruto decided to just go to the Hokage and ask the question. He would just have to word it like it was a common problem. He could ask it like he needed some wise advice or something. It was usually the Hokage's weakness to forget about trying to truly figure out the meaning or reasoning behind questions if he had a chance to share his philosophy. The Hokage just liked to talk about stuff like that and he would usually get lost in his own beliefs. His wisdom though was helpful and Naruto often thought of him as a mentor, though he thought of him more as the grandfather he'd never had.

The blonde walked through the doors of the Hokage tower and the usual routine with the secretary ran its course. Soon enough, he was standing in front of the desk of the Hokage. The Sandaime looked curiously at Naruto, waiting for the boy to speak. Naruto was standing uncomfortably, trying to think of a way to word his question. Finally he decided he would just ask the Hokage about problems with meditation. He just wouldn't give the true purpose for the reason behind his meditation.

"Oi, Jiji-san, can I ask you something?" Asked the blonde.

The Hokage stifled a chuckle. "Well, you already did but never mind that. What is it you wish to ask me?" Asked the Sandaime with a thoughtful smile.

Naruto sighed. "Well, I was wondering if you knew how to meditate. I'm trying to do it so I can be more patient and clear my mind, but I just can't do it. I try for a long time but it's like I can't stop thinking," stated Naruto.

Sarutobi was a bit surprised, wondering why Naruto would want to become more patient and clear his mind. He remembered though the hate that most of the villagers directed towards him and his face took a solemn expression. The young boy was probably trying to keep his mind away from those things so as not to give into it all. He gained a bit more respect for the blonde. He was certainly much more mature for his young age than he should have been, Sarutobi sadly noted. He sighed as he guiltily thought of what the boy never got to have or even know of because of certain dangers that presented themselves.

The Hokage cut himself from his thoughts to answer Naruto. "The key to clearing your mind is not forcibly trying to clear it, but instead accepting all of your thoughts as they come to you. I can see how that would be difficult for you based on how many of the villagers view you but in order to achieve true awareness, to open your senses to the world, to clear your mind, you must accept all things. It is similar to trying to sense chakra. Most of the more skilled Jounin can sense chakra. It is a difficult skill to learn but most Shinobi can do it if they have the patience and learn how to do it correctly. Instead of trying to sense the chakra of someone straight away, one must open their senses and 'accept' it in a way. You could say that one should let the chakra come to them first and that would be the enabling factor in sensing chakra all around you. You could later learn to distinguish chakra signatures and identify people based on their own chakra."

The Sandaime kept going for awhile. It seemed there was a lot to sensing chakra that had its benefits. He went on to tell about how if you harnessed the ability strongly then it was likely you would never be sneaked up on. Naruto took the elderly leader's knowledge to heart. The Sandaime's experience and teachings were invaluable most of the time after all.

The young blonde also noticed his problem. Meditation and trying to sense natural chakra seemed similar enough and he had the same problem concerning both practices. He wasn't accepting of the energies of nature. It seemed natural chakra was somewhat sentient if what Naruto thought was true. The peculiar energy only let those who accepted their own problems and weaknesses sense it. The Sandaime said one had to accept everything and that meant _everything_. There was much to accept, in that case.

Naruto realized it. He would have to become a better person in a way. It was like you couldn't become Hokage unless you _truly_ loved the people of Konoha and were only out to help better and protect the village. Naruto's face became fiercely determined after comparing the two. He made it his mantra to never give up and that meant he would do whatever it took. It was bittersweet; strength and eventual possible future acceptance in exchange for enacting justice upon the villagers for their mistreatment of him.

Naruto loved Konoha, he just didn't approve of its inhabitants. He still didn't know why the villagers hated him and that just made him more angry and resentful of them. Naruto took a deep breath to calm him self. He would have to let go of that resentment and become the bigger man in the process. That thought was the only thing he felt would at least give him reassurance that he got over what they did to him and was willing to forgive them, even if they didn't know it.

A small smile adorned the young blonde's face. "Thank you for your advice Jiji-san, that helps," replied Naruto after the Hokage finally finished his speech.

Sarutobi smiled and nodded. "You're welcome, Naruto-kun. It is always nice to have someone who is appreciative of some of the things I've learned through my long life. I believe you will go far with what I can help you with," stated the Sandaime with proud smile.

Naruto returned the nod and smile and left the tower.

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After Naruto returned home, he saw his clone sitting in a circle of stray papers and empty scrolls with markings on them lying around him. The real Naruto raised an eyebrow at this and soon enough dispelled the clone. The rush of information came at him full force. His clone had actually managed to gleam quite a lot of information from the basics part of the Fuuinjutsu scroll and had started to practice.

The clone had learned of how an explosion can be made using Fuuinjutsu and had seen various samples of different exploding tags. The scroll showed the procedure of how to make a standard tag and how the markings, lines, patterns and different shapes corresponded with each other. It told of how to increase or decrease the time limit by adjusting the length of certain lines and also how to make a stronger explosion by making select patterns and shapes larger and more inverted. Sealing was definitely a _very_ intricate art.

It used the exploding tags as examples of how the smallest of changes to a seal can have major effects. Naruto was happy though. There was sealing theory in the way back of the scroll that the clone had come across. Naruto's eyebrows rose upon seeing yet another mention of Jiraiya of Konoha's Sannin. It said the man was a Fuuinjutsu master and is still thought to be one of the best in the world. Naruto remembered back to the information on the Yondaime and recalled the Jiraiya person was the Yondaime's sensei.

Naruto knew the man obviously had to be one of Konoha's most powerful ninja if all of the things he'd been hearing were true. The man had trained in Senjutsu with the toads, he was a Fuuinjutsu master, and to top it off, he was the sensei to the Yondaime. If he remembered correctly, the Sandaime had mentioned that Jiraiya was one of his students as well. Naruto sighed as he thought about the man. He was probably super cool.

The young blonde got his mind off of the Toad Sage and focused on more important matters. He now had a basic understanding of the markings used to create seals. It wasn't much but it was something. Naruto was also contemplating making his own exploding tags. He wouldn't need them until he was an official Genin but he could probably sell them to weapon's stores. He grinned at the thought of makings hundreds of them and pawning them off. He could henge into a businessman-type and sweet talk a potential buyer. Now that he knew how to make them, he could add the necessary perks by making them stronger and either quicker or slower to detonate.

The next thing in the scroll to learn about would be how to seal and unseal items and put chakra into the mix. You had to insert a bit of chakra in exploding tags to make them start their detonation sequence but it was a bit more complicated when it came to sealing items. His clone had started on the explanation of how to seal items when Naruto had arrived home. The blonde quickly made a new clone and had it continue where the other clone had left off. Naruto didn't mind the fact that he would probably have to sleep through the noises his clone would make through the night practicing how to seal and unseal things properly.

The purpose was plain and clear. There was definitely a lot to learn just with the basics of Fuuinjutsu but if Naruto had a clone reading and practicing what was stated in the scroll constantly, then the real Naruto really wouldn't have to do anything. He could learn the art of sealing without even actually ever touching an ink brush.

The basics for sealing were just to thoroughly understand the markings individually and then after that, what they could do when put together in different patterns. There were seals with matrixes that were huge; markings that were compiled for a major purpose. Naruto could only imagine how difficult it would be to, say, create a seal for the sole purpose of somehow making it impossible for one to be targeted with Genjutsu. Naruto didn't know where to start but he knew after he got past the intermediate level of Fuuinjutsu, he'd have some idea. He surmised that since Genjutsu was direct and consisted of someone using foreign chakra to manipulate the senses, he would have to make a seal that wouldn't allow foreign chakra to enter his brain. He didn't really think he could make a seal that could disable Ninjutsu or Taijutsu but he felt he could cross that bridge when he came to it.

With that Naruto completed his nightly routine while his clone was still reading on and practicing Fuuinjutsu and finally went to bed.

{0)(0}

Naruto's last two days had gone by rather quick. He had continued his training routine to a harder extent and his progress was just a bit better. He felt he had mastered his academy Taijutsu and was confident in the art. In the scroll it recommended that he try to develop his own style so as not to be predictable and Naruto being Naruto had taken the advice and had been trying to think a way of fighting that would suit him. Since he wanted to be fast and utilize speed, he had been considering making a style that would combine his fighting art with his agility and speed.

The basics of sealing had been covered and Naruto could confidently say he knew a good deal, at least for a beginner who technically only started the practice a short four or five days ago. The blonde had felt he had made progress in his meditation and sensing of natural energy. He didn't sense any at all, but for some reason, he felt he was getting there. It could have been because through his meditation, he had basically been giving himself therapy. Letting go of his pain and vengeful feelings and accepting the world and things for what they are definitely made him feel a lot better. He felt a bit depressed that he wouldn't have his pride intact but the feeling of accomplishment pushed that away.

The young blonde was happy with his progress. He could proudly state to those who thought their ninja education was difficult that he'd managed thus far without any help whatsoever. It wasn't the _complete_ truth because he had help from the Sandaime but he was more of someone who gave helpful advice and caused Naruto to find out things based on his advice alone. The only real direct help he got from _anyone_ at all was when the Hokage had taught him how to read a long while ago.

It was probably dangerous to show off what he'd learned because of everyone's hate of him. Many of the more intoxicated civilians and occasionally a drunken Shinobi would repeatedly call him demon or monster. If he didn't play cautiously the villagers would start to think the 'demon' was getting smarter and would probably do something rash. Naruto sighed as he just smiled sadly, remembering to forgive and forget and accept. The motto stood with him every time he felt anger and ill will towards the Konoha villagers.

Arriving at the academy didn't take long as he entered his classroom. He was on time and most of the kids in his class were as well. They all looked groggy and tired, obviously dreading their first day back. Naruto entered the class and took his seat near the back.

Soon enough, the rest of the kids in the class arrived and two new teachers walked in together. There was a man with brown hair tied in a pony tail and a distinct scar across his nose wearing the usual attire for most Chuunin. The man next to him had white shoulder length hair and a narrow and pale face wearing the same uniform as the first man.

The man with his hair tied back stood directly in front of the tired class. He cleared his throat and got most of the classes' attention. "Hello everyone. My name is Umino Iruka and I will be your sensei for the rest of your time in the academy. This is my assistant," he pointed to the man beside him, "Mizuki. I hope the next few years can be fruitful and that you all can enjoy my teachings. I expect all of you to put fourth your best effort."

The man took out a piece of paper and a writing utensil along with a notebook to write on. "Alright, I'll begin role," stated Iruka.

The man continued through the list until he got to Naruto. His eyes slightly narrowed but not many noticed it. Naruto on the other hand had been paying close attention and noticed his new sensei's facial features harden ever so slightly. The students heard the name and they looked up at where Naruto was. Many of the other students looked at the 'class clown' in surprise. When did Naruto lose his jumpsuit and start acting nonchalant, if a bit serious, all of a sudden. The young blonde actually looked pretty good considering how he was before.

Iruka finished his attendance call and then, along with Mizuki excused themselves from the classroom to go pick some things up. Naruto noticed many of the lingering gazes and stares on him. He was a bit unnerved. After all, when was it that people openly stared at him _not_ in displeasure or hate? He could tell their faces were those of curious ones but he didn't know why.

Finally Naruto had enough. "Why are you all staring at me?" Asked the blonde with an irritated look.

Many of the students blinked but then shrugged and stopped staring. The young and pink haired girl known as Haruno Sakura looked on a bit angry for whatever reason. "Why are you trying to look cool Naruto-baka? Quit trying to be like Sasuke-kun," stated the girl.

Naruto ignored the comment and sighed. He used to like Sakura and was never afraid to openly admit it in the class he had with her the previous year. But that had been the _previous_ year. He knew now that she was like most of the other students and by an extension, the villagers. A short while after Sasuke had entered the academy, his clan had been somehow massacred. Sasuke turned into a brooding and kind of arrogant person after that and his new personality along with his 'Uchiha' looks gained him a great deal of fan girls. Sakura had turned into one sometime at the beginning of the academy year after befriending Ino and not too soon after, the two girls stopped being friends because of their simultaneous love for the Uchiha boy.

Naruto didn't like how Sasuke acted and he had had an innocent crush on Sakura. Naruto had often tried to befriend her but she would only ever berate him and compare him to Sasuke. Naruto didn't hate Sasuke nor did he hate Sakura but he now had his priorities set. He wouldn't blindly and stupidly strive for the pink haired girl's love if all she did was hate him for unfound reasons.

When Naruto hadn't responded to her jibe, it only caused the girl to become even more agitated. The blonde didn't care however as he kept his blank stare to the front of the classroom. The teachers soon arrived and the first day back to the academy followed through smoothly.

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*Phwew*

Finally finished with chapter 3.

Sorry if the whole finding of the sealing scroll was a bit unbelievable. Stuff like that happens though with people in a hurry so don't be too annoyed.

Before you get mad about something, don't automatically assume I haven't considered whatever it is and its connection to the story.

Remember to review. Hope you liked it.


	4. Chapter 4: The Harder it Gets

Title: Hiraishin Reborn

Author: AaronTT71

Genre: Adventure/General

Summary: One mysterious man advises Naruto to stop playing pranks and joking around. Naruto will take his Shinobi training seriously from a young age and utilize his true potential to its fullest. A simple low rank technique will be modified into something that will rival even the famed Hiraishin.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I wouldn't be wasting my time writing this fine piece of Fanfiction, rather I would be on a beach sipping an alcoholic beverage and laughing at all the losers who don't own Naruto. Yup.

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**Author's Note**: Well, to start off, Naruto is being as forgiving as he is so that he can become stronger. He won't all of a sudden _like_ all of the people that hate him, he just decides to forgive them and move on so that his own feelings of angst and hatred towards them don't hold him down. The meditation will help him accept things for as they are and will then gradually mold into perfecting his concentration so that he can sense natural energies. Now, a lot of people seem to think that I'm going to re-script canon—that's not what I'll be doing. My fic will be different, don't worry.

One person pointed out how the Shunshin and Kawarimi were super speed techniques as described in canon. Think about that last part—_as described in canon_—this is my fanfiction and what I say goes. Now, Naruto will be doing some things with natural chakra in the not-too-far-away-future, but that's all I'll say for now. I know that some of you may not like that I'm not considering Naru/Hina, but I've just seen it so many times and it's a kind of generic pairing, so it felt wrong to go that way.

Alright, I know that I was probably being unfair to Sasuke, but as seen in the fic, I'm basing it off of Naruto's point of view. He observes Sasuke's personality and naturally doesn't like it. He also doesn't understand the anguish and suffering Sasuke had gone through. I'm not going to be bias to any character in this story save Naruto of course; he is the protagonist after all.

Anyway, I thank you all for reading my story and the praise you have given. I'm glad most of you like it.

Keep up the reviews and Enjoy!

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Chapter 4: The Harder it Gets

Naruto never would have guessed Intermediate level Fuuinjutsu training was as difficult as it was. The basics of the art of sealing weren't that difficult considering the circumstances. All one really needed to do was memorize all of the different purposes for the many different lines, shapes and patterns and the most generic occurrences of what would happen when putting those markings together in certain ways. There was also the understanding of a few basic seals like exploding tags and low level containment seals placed on sealing scrolls. It only took Naruto, with the help of a clone in constant work, about a week to master the basics. Intermediate level, however, was taking much longer.

The scroll kept on giving him 'problems' to solve. It kept showing him seals that were faulty in some way and made him try to identify the problem. As Naruto finished the first few, he noticed that as they came, they increased in difficulty. The problems within the many seals would become less pronounced and harder to locate.

Naruto got a bit frustrated with this, but he could tell he was improving. He could look at many of the lower level seals and easily and instantly identify problems within them or tell if they were drawn out correctly on the spot. Some of the more advanced seals gave him trouble but he always eventually managed.

He was in the middle of the intermediate part of his Fuuinjutsu training. There was still another half of training. The second half would deal with the creation of one's own seals as well as some of the finer details such as molding chakra into seals and absorbing them onto things or making them smaller to form distinct shapes. It even went further to describe how to automatically apply seals with the use of hand signs. Naruto was a bit confused when he skimmed through that section; he never would have guessed one could form seals with hand signs.

There was a bit more to it and Naruto already knew he was going to dread advanced Fuuinjutsu training. The young blonde's determination didn't waver at all however as he thought about it. He was close to finishing his training and he had only started half a year ago. The intermediate course was way longer than the basics course. It was the majority of the scroll and the first half of the course dealt with about a thousand sealing formulas one had to solve before they could start the second half of the intermediate course. Even with his clone working constantly to practice and finish it, it had taken much longer than Naruto had ever guessed.

He was somewhere in the nine hundred-seventies if he had to think about it. The sealing problems became unnervingly difficult long before that point. Sometimes, it would take a clone as long as a full day to solve just one problem. There was also no answer key; you had to reform the seal so that it was correctly drawn and then place a small amount of chakra into it and if you reformed it correctly, it would momentarily shine; if not, nothing at all would occur.

Based on everything, Naruto suspected another month to the end of the first half of intermediate training. He sighed in relief, thinking about how his clone would be done with figuring out the annoying sealing formulas. He was glad he had extra time with the use of his clones but while he got back the knowledge, there also came the annoyance his clone gathered while trying to figure out the difficult sealing formulas.

Naruto sighed once more as he thought about how his life had been going. His class standing wasn't really better, but Naruto didn't care. His skipping of classes proved to be excellent time to train. He had pretty much perfected his aim to a tee if the object wasn't moving. His Taijutsu training proved fruitful as well. He hadn't developed a definite fighting style yet but he was still knowledgeable of the fighting arts and could effectively hold his own if need arose; at least that's what he thought. The young blonde had also managed to master the leaf chakra control exercise, within the first few weeks no less.

His meditation was a sore subject but also very helpful as well. It proved to definitely calm him down and put things in perspective. He couldn't sense the natural energy and he knew why but unfortunately had no way of improving upon it. His problem was sitting still. He needed a way to teach himself methods to help solidify his concentration and how to firmly keep it in place so that he could achieve sitting perfectly still. He was content though to go slow with it and find ways to gradually make it work. The idea behind meditation had a lot to do with patience and sensing natural energy had to be no different.

As Naruto mused, a chakra signature outside his door made itself known. He hadn't really gotten the hang of sensing chakra at all yet but he was getting there. After the Hokage had told him of the benefits, it seemed like another skill he would need to learn. And so he experimented and went on what the Sandaime told him and sure enough, when he was meditating, a small tingling sensation occurred on his shoulder. When Naruto looked back over his shoulder, which happened to be at an angle towards the window in his apartment, he spotted what looked like a Chuunin jumping across buildings.

At first, he was puzzled but then he realized his meditative training was unknowingly chakra sensing training as well. He was happy that he got that far already but he was also annoyed that he couldn't reach his main goal—sensing natural energy. In any case, he was at least getting somewhere

Suddenly a few knocks on his door brought him from his thoughts. He knew the person was aiming to come to his apartment specifically; the person's chakra seemed to grow closer while Naruto waited for them. The young blonde quickly gathered all of his sealing work and the scroll and hid it away just in case. He wasn't technically supposed to have the scroll after all.

Naruto walked to his door and opened it with caution. He knew there were people that hated him and it wouldn't be beneath some of those people to try to hurt him, though the Hokage had made examples of the people that did try to hurt him so it was not probable. On the other side of the door was a man with short and spiky dark hair. The man's eyes matched the dark brown color of his hair, and, as if to match his eyes and hair, the man's clothes were particularly dark and bland. He had on dark, loose fitting pants and a brown, long-sleeved shirt. The man was about 5'10" if Naruto had to guess.

The unknown visitor smiled at Naruto with his oddly normal features. The man's skin was a light brown and based on how he looked, he was no older than thirty. It was odd for Naruto to get visitors and now the young blonde was even more on his guard. He forced his features calm and blank in the face of a potential enemy.

"May I help you, sir?" Asked the young blonde respectfully.

The man's smiled wider. "No, I just wanted to meet my neighbor. I just moved in here. It was definitely the cheapest place around. I was wondering why no one else besides you seems to live here, though," stated the man with a look of curiosity.

Naruto was shocked. Never had anyone, at least to his knowledge, lived in his apartment complex while he himself lived there. On the inside, Naruto was trying to frantically find reasoning for the change of events while on the outside, his calm exterior never escaped him. There was only one possible reason for the change of events and Naruto needed to know if his guesses were correct.

"Are you from this village sir?" Asked Naruto with his earlier politeness.

The man smiled sheepishly back at the young child. "Heh, actually no. I've come here for work and I needed to find the cheapest place to live until I could return to my home village. This place seems a bit run-down but otherwise fine," replied the man nonchalantly.

Naruto nodded in understanding, his guess proven correct. "Well, I'm the only resident of this complex mostly because not many in the village like me and also because, like you said earlier, the state of the apartment building. It's located in a poorer part of Konoha and its rooms aren't too big either. That's about all I can think of," said Naruto, not noticing that he was rambling on a bit.

The man regarded the young blonde with amusement. The child seemed pretty smart, considering he looked no older than eight. The man cleared his throat, signaling he wanted to speak. Naruto looked on at the newcomer expectantly.

"Well, I believe introductions are in order," stated the man with a smile, "I am Ayumu Daichi. I'm from the land of water."

Naruto looked on quizzically at the man before recognition flashed in his eyes. "Oh, umm, I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I'm from Konoha."

The man nodded his head. "Well, Naruto-kun, I live in the room directly below yours. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," declared the man with yet another smile.

Naruto nodded back to him and was about to close the door when his eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of the man's hands. They were calloused, scarred and looked even a bit burnt. Naruto would have shrugged the man off as a carpenter because of his hands if it weren't for the man's body language. The man looked confident and walked smoothly and seemingly quietly. Daichi's chakra source from before was also pretty large. Based on all of the clues, the man was definitely not a civilian.

Daichi was looking at him confused. The boy was just staring at him now, as if sizing him up. Suddenly the blonde looked upon his face. "You are a Shinobi," stated Naruto with a blank face.

It was not a question and Daichi knew as much. His eyes widened ever so slightly as he tried to digest how a young child could have found out. He had gotten in with official papers as a civilian; in front of Chuunin guards no less. He also suspected there were hidden ANBU as well. He had made sure to suppress his chakra as much as he could while in their presence and once he was in the village, he felt he had accomplished his infiltration attempt successfully. If a mere child caught him with not so much as a long stare, it said something about his skills as well as the skills of the Konoha ninja, and not in a good way.

The man lost his smile while a look of practiced confusion appeared on his face. "What would make you think that?" Asked Daichi with a look of puzzlement.

Naruto wasn't fooled. The man's earlier hesitation and surprise was hard to spot, but Naruto was used to looking for things like that. He made it his hobby to read peoples body language. He could usually and easily spot a well-concealed lie, or truth for that matter. It was easier to spot lies if you knew the person but still, Naruto had inwardly studied peoples' facial expressions from a young age and from there, it developed into reading people for clues or hidden emotions.

Naruto turned back to the man. "Your body language is one give away. Your hands are also scarred and calloused which suggests long uses with weaponry. And the biggest sign was your chakra source. I didn't get that much time to size it up because I'm only new to sensing chakra, but from what I did sense, you're definitely no civilian," declared Naruto with a blank face.

By the end of the explanation, Daichi couldn't hold back his surprise. His eyes grew wide and his mouth hung slightly. He was trying to find any possible reason for a mere child to be as skilled and observational as Naruto seemed to be. Naruto remained calm and in place while looking on at the man warily. The young blonde had a kunai prepared behind his back, waiting for the man to make a move.

Daichi schooled his features as he calmed down. He was now frowning at the child. He coughed. "Well, uh, you're a definitely a skilled one now aren't you? Yes, I am a ninja, but I'm only here to work for money so that I can help save my younger siblings back in water country. There is a civil war going on over there and there is no work to find. I've come here in hopes that I can support them from afar. I ask that you keep my secret safe, for Konoha wouldn't allow a foreign ninja to do what I'm doing. Can you help me with that?" Asked the man with as much sincerity as he could muster.

Naruto remained calm with a look of thoughtfulness but he internally scoffed. That explanation was definitely rehearsed. The man just said it all so quickly that there was no way he didn't think of what to say beforehand. However, Naruto knew he could get something good out of this. Whatever the man's true motives were, Naruto would definitely be wary of, but he knew from his experience around shady people that there was always something to gain from situations just like these. Whether Naruto would have to blackmail the man or not was unknown but he knew he could get something from him.

Naruto smirked at the man. "What was, or is your rank?" Asked Naruto.

The man inwardly sighed in relief. Trust kids to forget about important matters in the face of more appealing things such as status or how strong one is. Daichi smiled down at the blonde. "I'm a Jounin actually," stated the man with a hint of pride.

Naruto nodded with a smile. "Alright, I won't tell anyone if you can train me," declared Naruto causing Daichi to gape at him.

Daichi coughed as he regained his bearings. The young blonde was smarter than he'd initially anticipated; using his status of secrecy as a means to gaining something in return. That wasn't something much different from what he would do himself; smart kid indeed. He could just kill the boy but that would ruin his mission. He needed to stay in Konoha for awhile and he had already rented the apartment. He couldn't take the risk of killing the boy because of the unknown repercussions.

The older man smirked at Naruto. "That's pretty low kid but definitely smart. I didn't expect there to be much talent among you little leaf kids but it looks like I was wrong. Sure, I'll only be in Konoha for awhile until I've sent and raised enough money. I'd estimate around a couple of months," stated Daichi.

The older man was impressed with how Naruto manipulated the situation in his favor. He'd underestimated the young boy just because of his young and seemingly weak appearance and he wasn't so arrogant as to not admit that. He was both looking forward to what the blonde could do and also dreaded it. The boy would no doubt get in the way of his infiltration mission if he wasn't careful. Daichi sighed as he smirked at Naruto.

"So when do you want to start?" Asked the older man.

Naruto rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmm, well, we can start tomorrow. It'll be Saturday so we'll have all day. On the days I have to go to the academy, we can train after I'm done. Sometimes I won't go, so if you're free, we can just spend those days training more. I'll show you what I know how to do and I'd like you to help me improve what you think I lack in," informed the young blonde.

Naruto made sure to still not trust the man in the least. For all he knew, the man could try to somehow sabotage his training or something. He already was formulating ways to keep safe from the possibilities. He felt a bit guilty that he was basically using the man for his own benefit, but the man was technically an enemy and this way, they both got something out of it. He also felt bad for not just immediately going to the Hokage to tell him that a foreign ninja had managed to infiltrate Konoha.

The man left after that and Naruto was back to meditating while his clone worked to complete yet another sealing formula in the large Fuuinjutsu scroll. Not that much later did Naruto finally cut his meditative training off and go to bed. His clone was still heard in the background as it tried to frustratingly solve a sealing problem.

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There wasn't much that Naruto benefitted from Daichi's odd training, or at least that's what Naruto himself thought. The man made him work on the very basics of being a ninja. He would tell him about how to see through deception and look for hidden meanings as well as perfecting his skills in stealth and how to suppress his chakra.

The man would constantly stress how important those basics were. He would often talk to Naruto and tell him certain things that would have hidden meanings and see if the young blonde would catch on to his tricks. Much to the older man's growing surprise, Naruto only didn't catch a few. The boy was unnervingly observational, much to Daichi's delight at not having to teach Naruto such things. He made sure to reinforce those skills as well.

Daichi would tell Naruto to never be off his guard and to be paranoid of everything. Naruto was a bit reluctant to do things that way but after Daichi's explanation of how being that way had saved his life countless times, as well as the training he provided on how to be subtle about being paranoid, Naruto agreed. The man was good with the fundamentals of being a Shinobi but Naruto felt he wasn't getting much further toward his goal. If he wanted to be Hokage, he would need to always work hard.

Naruto could plainly tell Daichi was an espionage and infiltration specialist based on all of the things he taught him. The man was adamant about perfecting Naruto's stealthy capabilities as well as to be careful and cautious even in your own home. He trained Naruto in how to see through words and find the hidden meanings—a thing that a ninja specializing in espionage must know to a T. It was plain obvious and now Naruto knew the man wasn't just in Konoha for money. It just seemed a bit too convenient for the man to be an infiltration specialist.

Naruto was fairly certain the man was observing something or someone while the two were away from each other, waiting for an opportune moment to take 'it' or 'them,' or even just to spy on enemy forces and then leave most likely. The blonde was a bit concerned; he was risking his own village for personal gains after all. He knew though that it wasn't the right time to act. Naruto could tell that Daichi wasn't that close to being done with whatever it was he was doing. He would be ready if the need arose; at least that's what he hoped.

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"Alright, good job. You're much more proficient with what I've taught you so far. I'm impressed," stated Daichi with a smile, "I'd say you're ready for more advanced chakra control than that idiotic leaf exercise they teach you at your academy. I know you've mastered that already so I'm going to get you started on tree climbing and then water walking. Both of these exercises will add to your control as well as aid your stamina levels, not that you'd really need that, and it would also help you hone your stealth and chakra suppressing abilities to a higher degree."

Naruto beamed with pride at his newly acquired sensei's words. He would finally move past the boring old leaf exercise he had used. It was an annoying exercise that he didn't really feel he was getting anywhere with. He was a bit confused when his new teacher mentioned tree climbing and water walking. He didn't really know what climbing trees had to do with chakra control and water walking just seemed to be random and confusing. Although he was confused, he supposed Daichi would explain anyway.

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When Naruto learned of the chakra control exercises, he never would have guessed them to be what they were. Chakra was indeed very difficult to control at the soles of one's feet and Naruto didn't think people could walk on different surfaces aside from the ground. He never thought such a feat possible and he absentmindedly wondered who it was that even connected those things and came up with the practice. But none of that mattered now. Two weeks of hard work amounted to him finally learning and mastering both exercises. Daichi had stated that, yet again, he was impressed. He told the young blonde that not many could juggle the chakra control training and their simultaneous work in the academy at once. It had been difficult but Naruto only saw it as another obstacle toward his dream of being the Hokage. He knew he had a great deal more to learn and experience before he was even a fourth of the way there, but he couldn't help but feel that with everything he did learn, he was getting that much closer.

Daichi never stayed and observed while Naruto was practicing his chakra control. He told him how to do the exercises and then showed for visual support but after that he declared that Naruto knew enough so that he could do the training on his own. Naruto didn't mind it but hoped that Daichi wasn't doing anything bad while he was away. A month had passed from the time Daichi had arrived and Naruto could easily say he learned a lot.

The blonde had cursed himself when, after the end of his chakra control training, he went home and his clone had just dispersed in front of him, giving him the knowledge of how it had finished one of the last sealing problems. He cursed himself because he realized he forgot about using the Kage Bunshin technique for his training in chakra control. He had been so focused on trying to maintain his already lowering grades and the finishing of both of the chakra control exercises that he didn't remember he could have used his clones to probably help him get everything done quicker.

It seemed he was still a bit of an amateur with the technique. He sighed as he laid down on his bed. He was definitely tired with how his days had been going. He hadn't even had time to meditate with all of the time he spent trying to complete the two chakra control exercises. The kids in class didn't seem to notice his tired appearance those two weeks and they also didn't question all of the time he had missed. Naruto had spent more time out of class to train than he usually did. He wanted to learn something more significant than chakra control from Daichi and he had to finish the current task before he even tried the next.

Tomorrow would probably be the day he would finally learn something cool; not that he didn't like perfecting his chakra control and walking on surfaces besides the ground—it just didn't interest him as much as learning something powerful and flashy. It was a childish thing, Naruto knew, but he shrugged that off since he was basically still a child, even though he'd matured past that of a child's thought process.

The young blonde sighed as he decided to cut off his thought process and go to sleep.

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Daichi smiled as he looked down at his temporary pupil. He was intrigued with the boy and all of his tendencies. At first, he'd suspected that Naruto was just a talented kid but he realized it went farther than that after observing the boy. He had seen Naruto's determination and couldn't help but admire it but he was also confused because of it. So many people seemed to hate the boy and Naruto would always keep a blank face through all of the glares and comments thrown his way.

Daichi's only guess was that the boy's parents were evil or traitors or something; it would explain why he was an orphan too. It actually made Daichi pity the blonde. Naruto was a very smart kid. Daichi knew he would become a great asset to the village when he was older. The older man just shook his head in disappointment. It was like a good, large, healthy piece of meat being thrown away. He had to get rid of that though because Naruto was smarter than that.

The boy got around his troubles and either taught himself from scrolls or tried figuring things out on his own. Daichi had to grin at that. Naruto was talented and hard working it seemed; two traits invaluable in the world of Shinobi.

The older man though was getting a bit worried. He had taught as much as he could without further honing the boy's skills. He had taught Naruto the basics and known concepts of being a stealth specialist and Naruto had flown through everything so quick. He couldn't train the boy more because it would be like helping the enemy prepare to kill you. Naruto wanted to be a Konoha ninja and Konoha wasn't an ally of Kirigakure. All he had been teaching the boy earlier had been stuff he would eventually learn, especially if he chose to specialize in stealth and infiltration. If Daichi were to train the boy in his field further, it would become a bit more advanced and he couldn't risk training someone who probably had the potential to sneak into his village in the future and learn all of its secrets.

He sighed as finally decided his course of action.

"Well done with everything so far. I don't have much time before I'll have to go back home. Therefore, I'll be giving you this to copy down," said Daichi as he handed Naruto a book.

Naruto looked at the black, nameless book. "What's this?" Asked the blonde.

Daichi smirked. "That, Naruto-kun, is a Bingo book: a journal that holds within it information on some of the world's most powerful ninja as well as dangerous criminals and missing-nin. There are two hundred-eleven pages; each page holding information on one person. It could just list physical characteristics or it could hold a potential enemy's fighting style and Jutsu arsenal. This one Bingo book is one that I've compiled from many other ones. It holds information on Shinobi B-rank and above, though there are a few notable C-rank ninja," exclaimed Daichi with a bit of pride, happy that he'd been the one to create the book.

Naruto was happy to receive it but was still confused as to how it could help him. "Umm. . . thanks and all, but what will I be able to do with this?" Asked Naruto.

Daichi smirked once again. "Oh? You don't know? This book is like any other weapon, Naruto; it can be the key to saving your life, even," stated Daichi with a bit of comical seriousness.

Naruto became a bit more confused at that. "How?" Naruto asked with a look of puzzlement.

Daichi sighed. "Think about it Naruto. Say you encounter a random ninja while on a mission. This ninja is against your mission and decides to fight to keep you from succeeding. Now, what if this ninja happened to be an A-ranked missing-nin from Kumo or something; you aren't at this guy's level and would die in the first few minutes of battle, and if you knew that, you wouldn't have decided on fighting him. Situations like these can be avoided by memorizing the ninja in the Bingo book. If you encounter someone weaker than you—say he's just a good C-rank but you're B-rank—you can fight and probably get past him. Or if you see an A-rank, but the Bingo book holds information on his techniques and fighting style, you can quickly come up with a way to counter his attacks and use the knowledge of his techniques or style to your advantage."

Naruto's eyes widened in realization. Yes, the book would definitely be an invaluable asset. He looked back up to Daichi who was waiting for him to take the book. Naruto grabbed the book and put it in his pocket. The blonde then waited for what Daichi had to say next.

Daichi looked on nonchalantly. "Usually I wouldn't give a Bingo book to even a Genin, much less an academy student. Usually, ninja villages only supply skilled Chuunin and Jounin Bingo books. The higher skilled ninja will usually need them for hunter missions or if they might encounter one of these guys while on a mission. You can't reveal that you have one, especially one that extensive. I'll show you a document transferring Jutsu once we get back to the apartments. After that, your assignment is to memorize every single person in that book and after you do, I'll quiz you on a random bunch," stated the older man.

Naruto gaped at what Daichi wanted him to do. He had to memorize 211 people! It definitely wasn't going to be fun but he could realize the importance of doing such a thing. He would be a lot more prepared. He sighed and his shoulders slumped as he nodded. Daichi smiled and started walking away with Naruto following behind.

The man was content with what he was doing. This way, he was only making the boy more aware of possible enemies. It was essential for an infiltration specialist to know who was who of a village as well as other threats. It was weird to have Naruto work on such a task but Daichi just shrugged it off. He wasn't really giving him anything that would make Naruto even better; after all, with the boy's skills, Daichi didn't think it impossible for the blonde to become a pretty skilled Chuunin within a few years. He would receive a Bingo book soon enough.

The night ended calmly as the two figures retreated to their apartment complex.

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-And Done!

-Well, yah, Ayumu Daichi is one of the like _four_ OC characters. I put in that Ryuu guy and he was another. After the next chapter, you won't see anymore of Daichi, just as you won't see anymore of Ryuu.

-Sorry if this chapter was a little bland or that there wasn't as much progression as you might have hoped but worry not, I'll get to that soon.

-Oh yah; thanks everyone! I'm proud to announce I have around 11,000 hits, 39 C2 adds, 219 Favorite adds, and 259 story alert adds!

-You know, with all that, you'd think my story would have some more reviews. . .

-C'mon people, don't hold out on me.

-Anyways, thanks for everything and stay tuned for chapter 5!


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